Rebel Bellwether
by Rantipole
Summary: Liora is an Epimeliad - a dryad who's duty is to guard the Golden Fleece. In the original times of the Argonauts, Liora was punished by the gods for being a close friend of Medea. Now she is stuck on Polyphemus' island, protecting his herd of sheep. When she snags the chance to leave with the already legendary son of Poseidon, she rebels against Fate in the lives of demigods


Liora blew soundlessly through her lips, watching the Greeks with feigned interest under lidded eyes. They had dared come into a country that was the strangest of all, where the people were the strangest of people. The land they were in before the moon at set into the sky, these strange people said. It was behind the pillars where writings were graven and the grand wall that concealed the land from man's peeking eyes that the great king of Egypt had found Colchis in the city of Aea. He called Egypt the Morning Land.

She knew King Æetes was afraid. His wise daughter, Medea, had told her off his dreams, dreams of a ship sailing on mist, slamming its hull against his palace that stood there not-so-innocently in all its confidence and glory until it crumbled to the ground, its beauty slipping away. Medea had begged Liora to come with her to the temple of Hecate on her father's orders, in attempts to search out spells that could possibly demolish the strangers who came to his city.

She and her friend stood in front of columns that held the gallery up, vines with dramatic leaves and broad clusters of fruit Liora had grown herself tracing from column to column. Under the emerald vines were fountains of gold, silver, bronze, and iron made by Lord Hephaestus as a gift for King Æetes. They gushed out out crystal blue water, milk, wine, and oil. On either side of the cobblestone courtyard were palace buildings, one for King Æetes and his son, Apsyrtus, another for his daughters Chalciope and Medea with their handmaidens.

Liora sighed as she glanced at the sorceress. Amazement glittered her friend's bottle green eyes, taking in the main man's bright curls and and eyes that shone in the sun, like Lord Helios' rays reflecting against the waters of the Black Sea. The nymph new his crimson mantle made this boy look like a man, making him seem like someone not even the deities could not overthrow. As the hero raised his calloused hand to his two comrades that fell behind, laughing with the other two that seemed more at ease, a dove flew towards the girls; it was being pursued by a hawk. As the sacred animal of Lady Aphrodite landed upon Medea's rounded shoulders, she threw her veil up to conceal it, and the hawk slammed against the column they were standing in front of. Medea trembled as Chalciope gave a cry.

The two boys that had been looking around the courtyard with a trace of fear sprinted up at the sound of the cry. These were to be the sons of Phrixus, the ones that had ventured out of the city not too long ago. The servants, having heard Chalciope's cry, flew out and too howled out. The commotion was enough to lure King Æetes out of his palace.

The King might have been elderly with his shock of white hair and wrinkled face, but he had the same bottle green eyes as Medea and walked with purpose, of a leopard stalking its prey. Apsyrtus looked as though he belonged in the Phienician market with the other merchants with his black beard and collection of rings hooped through his ears. His chin was set up defiantly and he looked down his hooked nose at the others lower than himself.

Liora dragged the embarrassed girl over as Phrontis and Melas removed themselves from their Chalciope's embrace and bowed to King Æetes. Liora's lips pouted in concentration as they spoke of the heroes they came with: Jason, son of Iolcos; Peleus and Telamon, sons of Aeacus, King of Aegina and son of Zeus. After their introductions, King Æetes welcomed them into the palace where baths were made for them and a banquet was made.

Æetes turned to Phrontis as Liora and Medea sat along the table. "Son of Phrixus," he said sharply, "of that man whom I honored above all men who came to my halls, speak now and tell me how it is that you have come back to Aea so soon, and who they are in full detail, these men who come with you?"

Phrontis stared back coolly. He had the same stoic stare as his father's, but he had the spark of rebellion in his eyes that were in his mother's, the flicker of insubordination, the flame of defiance. "Æetes, our ship was driven upon the Island of Ares, where it was almost broken upon the rocks. That was on a murky night, and in morning the birds of Ares shot their sharp feathers upon us. We pulled away from that place, and thereafter we were driven by the winds back to the mouth of the Phasis. There we met with these heroes who were friendly to us. Who they are, what they have come to your city for, I shall now tell you.

"A certain king, longing to drive one of these heroes from his land, and hoping that the race of Cretheus might perish utterly, led him to enter a most perilous adventure. He came here upon a ship that was made by the command of Hera, the wife of Zeus, a ship more wonderful than mortals ever sailed in before. With him there came the mightiest of the heroes of Greece. He is Jason, the grandson of Cretheus, and he has come to beg that you will grant him freely the famous Fleece of Gold that Phrixus brought to Aea.

"But not without recompense to you would he take the Fleece. Already he has heard of your bitter foes, the Sauromatae. He with his comrades would subdue them for you. And if you would ask of the names and the lineage of the heroes who are with Jason I shall tell you. This is Peleus and this is Telamon; they are brothers, and they are sons of Aeacus, who was of the seed of Zeus. And all the other heroes who have come with them are of the seed of the gods."

Liora knew that the King was not convinced. By the light in his leopard's eyes, he thought the sons of Phrixus had returned to Aea with these armed warriors to rob of his city, to steal the kingship from Æetes. She sighed and folded her hand in her lap, praying to her Olympian father that punishment would not subdue.

"Begone from my sight," King Æetes cried in rage, "robbers that ye are! Tricksters! If you had not eaten at my table, assuredly I should have had your tongues cut out for speaking falsehoods about the blessed gods, saying that this one and that of your companions was of their divine race."

Peleus and Telamon stood in unison and made their way to the King, their wrath etched upon their faces, but Jason held them back. Compared to his companions, his voice was quiet, but yet shouted of daring.

"Bear with us, King Æetes, I pray you. We have not come with such evil intent as you think. Ah, it was the evil command of an evil king that sent me forth with these companions of mine across dangerous gulfs of the sea, and to face your wrath and the armed men you can bring against us. We are ready to make great recompense for the friendliness you may show to us. We will subdue for you the Sauromatae, or any other people that you would lord it over."

There was not a lingering of kindness upon King Æetes face. He was split between summoning his men and have these Greek strangers slain on the spots they stood, or place them in the way of danger by the trial he would give them.

He spoke to Jason, saying:

"Strangers to Colchis, it may be true what my nephews have said. It may be that ye are truly of the seed of the immortals. And it may be that I shall give you the Golden Fleece to bear away after I have made trial of you."

He turned to his daughter, who had been speaking softly with her nymph friend. She looked up, sensing her father's eyes on her, grasping Liora's hand for comfort. The Epimeliad was worried; Jason had finally came to look at Medea, seeing if the manner of maiden she was, and if the strength and beauty that was in the palace itself.

"With brave men I have no quarrel," said King Æetes, bringing Jason out of his trance. "I will make a trial of your bravery, and if your bravery wins through the trial, be very sure that you will have the Golden Fleece to bring back in triumph to Iolcus.

"But the trial that I would make of you is hard for a great hero even. Know that on the plain of Ares yonder I have two fire-breathing bulls with feet of brass. These bulls were once conquered by me; I yoked them to a plow of adamant, and with them I plowed the field of Ares for four plow-gates. Then I sowed the furrows, not with the seed that Demeter gives, but with teeth of a dragon. And from the dragon's teeth that I sowed in the field of Ares armed men sprang up. I slew them with my spear as they rose around me to slay me. If you can accomplish this that I accomplished in days gone by I shall submit to you and give you the Golden Fleece. But if you cannot accomplish what I once accomplished you shall go from my city empty-handed; for it is not right that a brave man should yield aught to one who cannot show himself as brave."

Jason knitted his blond brows to the ground, confused. When he finally looked up to the King, he found his cerulean eyes met with Medea's bottle green. He grasped what little courage he had left within him and said:

"I will dare this contest, monstrous as it is. I will face this doom. I have come far, and there is nothing else for me to do but to yoke your fire-breathing bulls to the plow of adamant, and plow the furrows in the field of Ares, and struggle with the Earth-born Men."

Jason grew even more confused when he saw Medea's eyes widened with fear, bottle green darkening to forest.

King Æetes finally spoke after a lengthened pause. "Go back to your ship and make ready for the trial."

Jason, with Peleus and Telamon, left the chamber, the King smiling grimly as he watched them go. Phrontis and Melas followed their mother like twin shadows. But Medea and Liora stayed, and King Æetes looked upon her with his eyes that were her own. "My daughter, my wise Medea," he said, "go, put spells upon the Moon, that Hecate may weaken that man in his hour of trial. Liora, Epimeliad daughter of Dionysus, go stay with the Golden Fleece." Medea shyed away from her father's eyes, and went to her chamber. Liora hesitated, and fled back to her apple tree where the other Epimelides were waiting.


End file.
